While the left has decried the rising tide of populism across the United States and Europe, claiming it is tied to racism, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism, the leader of one of the new wave of populist parties says the political revolutions reshaping the West are not connected to racism – and are a boon for Israel.

Speaking to Arutz Sheva at the 2nd Jerusalem Leaders Summit, Mischaël Modrikamen, founder of the Belgian People’s Party, discussed the nature of the populist wave and its implications for the Jewish state.
“[There is] a clear distinction between the right-wing, neo-Nazi, fascist movements – and they are – if you look at the [Greek party] Golden Dawn, or the [Hungarian] Jobbik [party]… they are fascist, racist, and anti-Semitic,” said Modrikamen.

“But then you have all these movements that are combatting the mainstream media and the mainstream parties that are made up of your citizens that are tending to the right but do not consider themselves right-wing or extremist and so on, that are rising in Europe… and they are, for many reasons, sympathetic to Israel. Because they see an example… Israel as a kind of example – if I may quote a religious word – a kind of ‘light unto the nations’.”

“What Israel is doing – up on its feet, fighting radical Islam, controlling its border, and being strong on its values and history and so on… is a kind of example, Israel.”